Bioenergy: Projects to be developed in Argentina

Announcements of future investments of alternative energies were made during the Second Pan American Conference on Sustainability in Biofuels and Bioenergy, which was recently held in Argentina coordinated by Argentinean Ministries of Agro Industry and Technology.

The Secretary of Planning and Policy Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of the Nation (MINCyT) explained that bioenergy is on the focus of interest of governemnt strategy. Bioenergy have been analyzed by the Ministry which has the Innovative Plan Argentina 20-20, where a series of strategic socio-productive centers that also involve other ministries such as Agribusiness, Energy and Industry are aligned with new technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and ICT stands. Bioenergy was described as a main focus that is necessary to carry out a transformation matrix of the society.

This meeting of bioenergy, co-organized by the Research Coordination Network US (RCN) and Argentina and American associations of chemical engineers, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), brought together leading experts on the American continent in these types of alternative energy.

It was highlighted that in Argentina the cut with Bioethanol climbed up 2% for sugar mills and that means for almost 170 thousand cubic meters of ethanol. Per each liter of ethanol around 10 liters of vinasse are obtained so 1.7 million cubic meters that needs treatment.

In 2016, Ministry of Science and Technology has been coordinating efforts in 11 strategic projects, one of which will be held around renewable energy, with an investment of about 10 million.

Another projects related to bioenergy are the use of waste from the Central Market, which currently represent a major source of pollution. They are targeted to exploit the waste in electricity generation, which can feed the whole neighborhood and surrounding

Authorities also shared comments about the favorable decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO), concerning to the elimination of rates imposed by the European Union for biofuel exports from Argentina to this market. It is expected that Argentina will be able to export about 1.5 million tons to that market, which means an income for the industry, at today's price, 1200 million for the next two years later.